Secondary Students' Perceptions of Teacher Quality

Georgia Southern University

Georgia Southern Commons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies

Fall 2011

Catherine P. Sutcli5

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd

Recommended Citation

Sutcli5, Catherine P., "Secondary Students' Perceptions of Teacher Quality" (2011).

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

. 391.

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/391

This dissertation (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Jack N. Averitt

College of Graduate Studies at Georgia Southern Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in

Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Georgia Southern Commons.

For more information, please contact [email protected].

SECONDARY STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHER QUALITY

CATHERINE P. SUTCLIFF

(Under the Direction of Linda M. Arthur)

ABSTRACT

This study examined the perceptions of secondary students and teacher quality

during their years in high school. The study sought to compare responses among males

and females and among ethnicities to determine if there were differences in perceptions

of teacher quality with respect to student-teacher relationships, instructional methods, and

justice and fairness.

Surveys were given to students from eight public high schools in a southeastern

region of Georgia. Demographic questions were included in the survey to delineate

responses by gender and ethnicity.

This study generated data from 663 students to determine student perceptions of

teacher quality in the areas of justice and fairness, instructional methods, and teacher-

student relationships. Data were organized and evaluated using statistical software to

produce the written results.

The results for student and teacher relationships and justice and fairness indicated

there were no significant differences among ethnicities or genders; however, when

Instructional Strategies were evaluated for ethnicity and gender differences, ANOVA

results for ethnicity revealed significant differences among the four ethnic groups. High

agreement was found on the items in which students indicated that they had adequate

time for questions and note-taking in class, teachers provided strategies to help them

retain information, teachers expected students to use a variety of resources to complete

class projects, and teachers provided detailed rubrics for specific grade requirements.

These findings lead one to believe that students want to know the expectations for

success in the classroom and value the teachers that provide them with concrete details.

INDEX WORDS: Teacher quality, Secondary students, Student perceptions

SECONDARY STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHER QUALITIES

CATHERINE P. SUTCLIFF

B.S., University of Georgia, 1985

M.ED., Georgia Southern University, 2004

Ed.S., Georgia Southern University, 2007

A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in

Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

STATESBORO, GEORGIA

2011

CATHERINE P. SUTCLIFF

SECONDARY STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHER QUALITIES

CATHERINE P. SUTCLIFF

Major Professor: Linda M. Arthur

Committee: Paul Brinson

Stephen Jenkins

Electronic Version Approved:

November, 2011

DEDICATION

This dissertation is dedicated to my family and friends who have been supportive

during this journey. To my husband, Ed, for taking care of dinner, laundry, school

functions, homework and all of the extras so I could attend classes and write in a quiet

room, this accomplishment is ours.

To my children, Cameron, Joshua, Mitchell, and Tyler, I dedicate this work to you

to show you that one never stops learning. Your father and I have great faith in you to be

successful in all you do, and expect you to support those important people in your lives as

they continue reaching for their goals. You have given me the greatest gift of your love

and support to complete a goal that took time away from being your mom.

To my parents Gene and Charlotte Lovett, no daughter could ask for better

cheerleaders in their corner. There were many days I wanted to give it up and you would

not let me quit. To my sister Melanie, brothers David and Keith, my wonderful parents-

in-law, Sue and Paul, and extended family and friends, I am blessed to have you in my

life.

To Mr. Dale Wilkinson, former teacher, principal, mentor and friend, thank you

for encouraging me to become a teacher many years ago, for your valuable insight about

children and how we serve them every day.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

With sincere gratitude and appreciation, it is my honor to thank the following

individuals for the contributions they made in the completion of this dissertation.

First, thank you to my committee and especially my advisor and chair, Dr. Linda

M. Arthur. You have modeled the three aspects of my dissertation throughout your

teaching and chairing of my committee – establishing solid relationships with your

students, quality instruction, and fairness. When thinking of the qualities of excellence

in teaching, I didn’t have to go very far to find it right in front of me. Thank you for your

commitment to see me through the completion of this journey.

To Dr. Stephen Jenkins, I appreciate your willingness to take on another student

with all that you do. Your approach to research and statistics is invigorating and to

borrow one of your words, “cool”. Thank you for your gift of time and explanation as we

pulled the data together.

To Dr. Paul “Mac” Brinson, thank you for joining my committee without

anything more than a plea from an unknown student. Your willingness to serve

exemplifies what many of us have learned from this experience – our leadership team at

Georgia Southern believes in and supports students. I will not forget your kindness.

To Ms. Marie Hooks, you are awesome. To the faculty and staff in the Georgia

Southern University Leadership Department, Teaching and Learning and support staff -

thank you for supporting the students who walk through your doors every day.

Finally, to the cohort that supported each other on Tuesday nights as we gathered

to learn and grow in our profession…Leslie, Bonnie, Cassie, Danny, Kim, Ronda, Kania,

Bill, Chris, Todd, Yvette, and Cindy. The cohort makes it possible to complete this

work - thank you for being the right team on the bus.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..................................................................................................... 1

LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................. 6

CHAPTER

I INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ .8

Background of the Literature ........................................................................... 8

Statement of the Problem ............................................................................... 24

Significance of the Problem ........................................................................... 24

Methodology ................................................................................................... 25

Participants ...................................................................................................... 26

Instrumentation ............................................................................................... 26

Data Collection ............................................................................................... 27

Data Analysis .................................................................................................. 27

Delimitations ................................................................................................... 28

Summary ......................................................................................................... 28 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 28

II REVIEW OF LITERATURE ............................................................................. 30

Introduction ..................................................................................................... 30

Teacher Effectiveness ..................................................................................... 30

Characteristics of Effective Teachers ............................................................ 35

Teacher and Student Perspectives in the Classroom .................................... 38

Statement of the Problem ............................................................................... 44

Research Questions......................................................................................... 45

III METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 47

Research Questions......................................................................................... 47

Research Design ............................................................................................. 47

Population........................................................................................................ 48

Sample ............................................................................................................. 48

Instrumentation ............................................................................................... 49

Data Collection ............................................................................................... 51

Data Analysis .................................................................................................. 54

Delimitations ................................................................................................... 55

Chapter Summary ........................................................................................... 55

IV RESULTS OF THE STUDY .............................................................................. 57

Student Perceptions of Student-Teacher Relationships................................ 58

Student Perceptions of Instructional Methods .............................................. 63

Student Perceptions of Justice and Fairness ................................................. 70

Chapter Summary ........................................................................................... 73

V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS ................................ 77

Analysis of Research Findings....................................................................... 77

Discussion of Research Findings ................................................................... 80

Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 84

Dissemination Information............................................................................. 86

Implications ..................................................................................................... 88

REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 91

APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................ 97

A IRB APPROVAL LETTER ................................................................................ 98

B STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE ......................................................................... 99

LIST OF TABLES

Page

Table 1: Reliability Scores by Subscale ................................................ ……..…………… 51

Table 2: Sample Size and Completion Rates for Each Data Collection Site .......................53

Table 3: Demographics for Sample and Georgia demographics by Ethnicity .....................54

Table 4: Scaled Scores Means and Standard Deviations for Student-Teacher

Relationships ..............................................................................................................59

Table 5: Scale Score Means and Standard Deviations for Ethnicity –

Student-Teacher Relationships .................................................................................61

Table 6: Analysis of Variance Results for Teacher-Student Relationships..........................62

Table 7: Means and Standard Deviations for Teacher Student Relationships –

Gender ........................................................................................................................62

Table 8: Results of independent Samples t-test for Gender –

Student-Teacher Relationships .................................................................................63

Table 9: Scale Means and Standard Deviations for Instructional Strategies........................64

Table 10: Means and Standard Deviations by Ethnicity – Instructional Strategies .............67

Table 11: Analysis of Variance by Ethnicity – Instructional Strategies ...............................68

Table 12: Tukey HSD – Comparisons Among Ethnic Groups for

Instructional Strategies ..........................................................................................63

Table 13: Means and Standard Deviations by Gender – Instructional Strategies ................69

Table 14: Independent t-test by Gender – Instructional Strategies .......................................69

Table 15: Scale Means and Standard Deviations – Justice and Fairness..............................70

Table 16: Means and Standard Deviations by Ethnicity – Justice and Fairness ..................71

Table 17: Analysis of Variance Results – Justice and Fairness ...........................................72

Table 18: Means and Standard Deviations by Gender – Justice and Fairness .....................72

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

In the wake of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the importance of finding new

ways to teach and connect with every student presents a never ending challenge to

administrators and teachers across the country. Federal and state standards demand

evidence of improvement among all groups of learners that guarantee all students have

access to highly qualified teachers. By having a better understanding of teacher quality,

administrators will be better equipped to hire teachers with attributes that engage students

and encourage learning. Studies have been conducted on the knowledge, skills, and

dispositions that exemplify quality teaching, including content knowledge, pedagogical

knowledge, and classroom management. Also, in response to NCLB, considerable

attention has been given by researchers to classroom strategies that prove effective at

raising test scores. In recent years, studies have been expanded to evaluate students’

perceptions of effective teaching within the college environment. In spite of this, few

studies exist that examine secondary students’ observations of quality teaching. This

study will seek to determine traits of effective teachers as perceived by secondary

students in the state of Georgia.

Background

“Teachers are the single most important resource to a child’s learning” (The White

House, 2010). Research on teacher quality over the past thirty years has provided data

that suggest schools have an impact on student learning, but more importantly, that the

largest influence on student learning can be traced to teachers (Darling-Hammond, 2000;

Ferguson, 1991; Haycock, 1998). Studies of teacher effects and educational equity have

been conducted throughout the United States to determine the impact on student

achievement, as well as the relationship between teacher licensure/certification and

educational attainment on student test scores. Results of these studies have provided

documentation that supports the value of teacher content knowledge, content-specific

pedagogy, and professional learning tied to the content taught by teachers (Allen, 2003;

Darling-Hammond, 2000). According to Hanushek, Kain, and Rivkin (1998), the

variability in teacher quality accounts for at least 7.5% of the dissimilarities in student

achievement.

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001) defines a highly qualified teacher as

one who meets three general requirements – completion of a bachelor’s degree, licensure

or certification by the state, and demonstration of subject matter competence in each

academic subject they teach. Despite the provisions of NCLB, gaps still exist among

poor and minority children in urban, suburban and rural settings (Vanneman, Hamilton,

Baldwin Anderson, & Rahman, 2009) as well as students with varying levels of English

proficiency (Plucker, Burroughs, & Song, 2010). Vaanneman et al. examined the results

of the mathematics and reading scores from the 2007 National Assessment of Educational

Progress (NAEP) and found that significant increases occurred among black students in

both reading and math, and the gap narrowed in Georgia between 1992 and 2007. In

spite of this good news, the narrowing of the gap was not found to be significant because

the scores of white students remained stagnant with no statistically significant growth.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended in

2001, established the definition of highly qualified teachers as those who hold a

minimum of a bachelor’s degree, have achieved state certification, and have

demonstrated mastery of the subject matter they teach (ESEA, 2001). NCLB established

the baseline of requirements for state and local boards of education to provide competent,

licensed teachers in the classroom, yet there is little evidence of improvement of teacher

quality (NCATE, 2010). Even though the gap among student groups is narrowing, the

gap still exists. If states are working to improve curriculum by focusing on standards,

and institutions of higher learning are improving the quality of their teacher education

programs, there is an unknown variable in the mix that has yet to be explained.

According to the U.S. Secretary’s Sixth Annual Report on Teacher Quality,

schools of education must file reports to the states providing the pass rates of their

graduates on state certification assessments under Title II of the Higher Education Act.

The states then file reports to the Department of Education that includes state certification

and license requirements for graduates who have completed regular and alternate teacher

preparation programs. Additional information in the annual reports include pass rates on

state assessments of teacher preparation program graduates as well as quarterly rankings

of their institutions of higher education “based on their pass rates, number of teachers on

waivers or emergency/temporary permits, information on teacher standards and their

alignment with student standards, and criteria for identifying low-performing schools of

education.” (U.S. Department of Education, 2009).

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the

professional teacher preparation accrediting body, requires the “parallel development of

teaching knowledge that is specific to the content being taught, as well as general

pedagogical knowledge and knowledge of child and adolescent development as applied

to teaching” (NCATE, 2010).

Research by Golhaber and Brewer (2000) found that licensure of mathematics teachers

was a more reliable indicator of student achievement when compared with teachers

holding a degree in their content area. Their findings implied that teachers with

pedagogy or methods coursework in their preparation program were more likely to have a

greater effect on student achievement than teachers who were not certified in their

subject.

The question that has been raised among stakeholders in recent years has now

become, “What is an effective teacher?” The Center for Public Education (2009) noted

five key characteristics of qualified teachers: High SAT or qualifying entrance exams, a

degree from a demanding college program, high scores on the licensing exam, more than

four years of teaching experience, and strong subject matter knowledge. The article

raised the following questions for school board members as they seek to hire qualified

and effective teachers: 1.What is the current distribution of teachers who have the

characteristics most associated with effectiveness? 2. How can we attract more teachers

with higher academic qualifications? 3. How can we retain teachers who have more than

four years of experience? 4. What is our current rate of certification? What are we doing

to reduce emergency certification? 5. Would we consider a policy of placing best-

qualified teachers in schools with a majority of low-income or minority students? 6. Do

we have the data tools in place to measure teachers’ effectiveness with students? 7. Do

we currently pay more for advanced degrees? Should we continue this practice? If so,

how do we align this practice with research on effective teachers? These questions are

supported by the NCATE decision in January 2010 to form the “NCATE Blue Ribbon

Panel on Clinical Preparation, Partnerships, and Improved Student learning” (NCATE,

2010). The panel will establish a set of guiding principles for the clinical preparation of

teachers so that preparation focuses more on building the expertise necessary for effective

practice as professionals. This includes the development of candidates’ ability to

understand and relate to their students and their needs, development of practical and

evidence-based pedagogical skills, and the use of research evidence and judgment in

practice.

The teaching profession has evolved over the past 50 years, requiring that teachers

rely on a different array of skills to meet the needs of their students. With a more diverse

student population, instruction must be personalized to meet the needs of students with

special needs as they are mainstreamed into the general student population. Students

with individual learning plans (IEPs) as well as English language learners require adapted

lessons to assist their learning of required academic disciplines. In a nation where the

minority students are now the new majority, the portrait of U.S. classrooms has changed

dramatically. One of the biggest challenges facing teachers today is teaching classrooms

with highly motivated students while trying to engage others who openly demonstrate

their dislike for school, increasing their risk of failure. The challenges facing teachers

today are more demanding with the increased accountability requirements at the federal,

state, and local levels (NCATE, 2010).

The debate over the importance of teacher quality is no longer the focus of

educational experts because that importance is firmly established. A renewed focus on

teaching practices is replacing the licensure vs. content knowledge issue and is now

zeroing in on the ways teachers perform in the classroom. Teachers and teacher

candidates should be able to understand and relate to students, know which pedagogical

skills are best suited for their students’ learning, and have an awareness of current

research that informs practice. NCATE has recognized the importance of a solid

foundation in academia, but also the need for more practice in the clinical aspects of

teaching, with the appropriate supports in place for teacher induction and ongoing

professional learning. Within the sphere of additional clinical practice resides the

opportunity for teachers and teacher candidates to understand how to relate to students.

Although teachers and teacher candidates are observed and evaluated by

administrators, mentor teachers, and clinical supervisors, there is a key factor missing in

the evaluative process: the voice of the student. Within this frame of investigation, a

review of the literature will consider teacher effectiveness and student learning,

characteristics of effective teachers, and student perspectives of effective teaching.

Teacher Effectiveness and Student Learning

Boyd, Lankford, Loeb, Rockoff and Wyckoff (2007) discovered a narrowing of the

achievement gap in New York City schools when policy makers placed teachers with

greater credentials into high-poverty schools. The gaps between student groups is

supported by the findings in the work of Darling-Hammond (2000), Good and Brophy

(1994), and Goldhaber (2000), as well as in the more recent research on effective

teaching. Effective teachers are grounded in their content knowledge, but also set high

expectations for their students and themselves (Demmon-Berger, 1986). Effective

teachers have the ability to set achievable goals and present content so that students can

learn (Good & Brophy, 1994) while building strong relationships with their students in a

caring and supportive classroom environment (Cotton, 1995; Wubbels, Levy, &

Brekelmans, 1997). In a survey on effective teaching (Babbage, 2002), effective teachers

were identified as those who knew how to challenge and encourage their students, and

demonstrate enthusiasm for the content. The teachers were willing to try new teaching

methods and make connections between the content and the lives of their students.

Gloria Ladson-Billings, in an online interview with Au (2005), stated the following:

“Part of being highly qualified as a teacher is that you

actually understand kids, you understand community, you

understand context — so that you go into a setting and

you're able to understand enough about the setting, enough

about yourself, to be able to be effective... If the kids aren't

really learning anything, how can you be highly qualified?

That has got to be an ultimate goal of the enterprise — that

students come out able to solve problems, able to make

decisions, able to critically analyze their environments.

Highly qualified teaching is intimately tied to results, but

I'm not talking about results as standardized tests.”

Early research into teacher evaluation began in the late 1800s. Page (1885) in Theory

and Practice of Teaching stated that it was easy to infer “all who learned could teach”,

yet some scholars had higher degrees of skill than others. Teacher effectiveness research

began in earnest in the early 1920s with the spotlight on the perspectives of

administrators (Dunkin & Biddle, 1974; Gage, 1965). Further studies from the 1930s and

1940s concentrated on examining the relationship between teacher effectiveness and

student achievement, classroom activities of teachers and students, and investigation of

teaching style. These studies continued to add to the knowledge base of what constituted

effective teaching (Campbell, Kyriakides, Muijs, & Robinson, 2003; Dunkin & Biddle,

1974; Mitzel, 1979) and led to the studies beginning in the 1960s that centered attention

on teacher knowledge and beliefs about student learning.

Medley and Mitzel (1963) stated that an essential component of student learning is the

teacher. This same finding has been supported in research conducted by Darling-

Hammond (1991, 2000), Ferguson (1991), Haycock (1998), Sanders and Horn (1998),

and Webster and Munro (1997). Researchers who support effective teaching as the

predictor of student success support the use of value-added evaluation systems assessing

student progress (Webster & Munro, 1997). Questions regarding the value-added

connection between teaching and learning have been at the forefront of studies as boards

of education attempt to find the magic combination of quality teaching practices and

teacher content knowledge. “Value-added” is defined as how much value has been added

to student learning (Carter, 2008). As student learning progresses from grade to grade,

student scores from previous achievement tests are compared with later scores to measure

growth rather than evaluation of one score at a particular point in time.

in time.

The Tennessee Value-Added Assessment model, developed by Dr. William Sanders in

the 1980s, is a well-known model used in education that indicates effective teachers are

necessary for student success. In a three year study by Wright, Horn, and Sanders

(1997), children who had been placed with highly effective teachers for three years (3

through 5

) scored in the 96

percentile on the statewide mathematics test in Tennessee

at the end of their fifth grade year, whereas children who had been placed in classrooms

with low-performing teachers for that same time period scored an average in the 44

percentile. A more recent study conducted by Nye, Konstantopoulos, and Hedges (2004)

supported the findings of the Wright et al. 1997 study. They found that sizeable

differences exist in teachers’ aptitude to produce gains in student achievement.

Mendro (1998) reviewed data from Dallas Independent Schools and noted that teacher

quality has a residual effect on student learning. Students placed with highly effective

teachers for one year realized gains for several years following; however, students placed

with ineffective teachers fell behind and needed up to three years to catch up with their

peers. Considering the fact that teachers have the capacity to add to or lessen the value of

student learning, an examination of effective teaching practices must be considered in

order to maximize increases in student learning.

Results of a study of data from the National Educational Longitudinal Studies of 1988

(NELS) showed high school students’ performance in mathematics and science were

positively impacted by teachers with certification in their subject area (including teachers

with a degree in their subject area) when compared with teachers without subject area

certification (Goldhaber & Brewer, 1999). The work of Goldhaber and Brewer is

supported by the earlier work of Ferguson and Womack (1993). They determined that

the quantity of teacher education coursework accounted for more than four times the

variance in teacher performance than measures of content knowledge (college GPA and

licensure exams). Content knowledge provides teachers with an assurance that they are

capable of delivering content, but does not guarantee that the teacher is effective in the

delivery of that content. Knowledge of subject matter does not guarantee high student

achievement.

Characteristics of Effective Teachers

In a recent study by Stronge, Ward, Tucker, and Hindman (2008), the researchers

studied the instructional behaviors and practices of teachers and sought to determine the

best practices that would foster increases in student learning. Their research centered on

identifying characteristics of successful teacher traits over four levels of effectiveness

(high to low) within four domains: instruction, student assessment, classroom

management, and personal qualities. A sample of data from 1, 936 students (85

classrooms) were selected from the school district’s student population of 23,000 students

to review gains in the students’ achievement. Actual achievement was compared with

expected achievement for teachers using two models for analysis, Ordinary Least Squares

(OLS) and Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLN). Findings from the Stronge et al. study

indicated that effective teachers had greater organizational skills, behavioral expectations

of their students’ were higher, there was a greater degree of respect and fairness exhibited

by effective teachers, and more higher-level questions were asked in the effective

teachers’ classrooms. An analysis of off-task behavior was also included in this study.

In the effective teacher-rated classrooms, disruptions were minimal (.5 of an event)

compared to the Ineffective- rated classroom, where observers recorded an average of

five disruptive behaviors in a one hour observation.

The overall benefit of the Stronge et al. study was the recognition of the instructional

characteristics and behaviors of teachers that correlated with increased gains in student

learning. Three succinct themes came from the results of the analyses: effective teachers

understand that a one size fits all approach does not promote student learning; effective

teachers ask more higher-level questions than ineffective teachers; and in the effective

teacher’s classroom, disruptive behaviors occur on an average of one per every 2 hours

when compared with one every 12 minutes in an ineffective teacher’s classroom. The

findings from Stronge et al. (2008), Wright et al. (1997), Mendro (1998), Nye et

al.(2004), and Darling-Hammond (2000) reinforce the importance of teacher quality and

effectiveness as the common denominator in student learning.

Research into teacher effectiveness has also included the study of teachers’ beliefs and

attitudes about teaching and learning. Work by Brighton (2003) found that teachers’

dispositions about teaching had a direct effect on their eagerness to participate in

professional development and implement new ideas gained in these learning experiences.

The beliefs teachers have about learning are often difficult to change; many enter the

practice of teaching with preconceived ideas about what is, and is not, effective teaching.

Effective teachers are those willing to consider new ideas and methods that will improve

their practice. Tobin and Fraser (1989) found that teacher beliefs had a major effect on

the methods used to implement curriculum, directly impacting student learning,

motivation to learn, and engagement in the classroom.

Teacher and Student Perspectives of the Classroom

In an ideal world, administrators, parents, teachers and students would all have a clear

idea of what constitutes an effective teacher. There would be many similarities among

the groups, but there would also be a divergence among the parties when different aspects

of teaching are considered. Adherence to local and state school district policies, federal

and state standards, and monitoring achievement through the use of multiple

assessments/standardized tests would create differences among all of the stakeholders in

the educational process.

Research measuring effective teaching practices and teacher quality has also included

measurements of student preferences for classroom learning environments and

experiences as well as assessments of student goals, motivation, self-esteem and self-

efficacy. With much of the focus centered on teacher practices, very few studies have

considered teaching effectiveness strictly from the students’ perspective.

A study by Springer, Morganfield, and Diffily (2007) investigated constructivist

teaching practices of 11 secondary teachers in Texas based on the educator standards

developed by the Texas State Board of Educator Certification. The researchers were

interested in three questions; 1) What similarities exist between secondary students’ and

teachers’ preferences for classroom environments based on state-defined educator

standards; 2) How different are the preferences in classroom environments between

students and teachers; and 3) How are student preferences and classroom experiences

influenced by grade level, gender, and socioeconomic status? The results indicated that

the teachers and students differed considerably with respect to adherence to state

standards (q.1); the students and teachers both felt that actual teaching practice did not

match their expectations and preferences (q. 2), and third, girls preferred an adherence to

effective teaching practices more than the boys in the study, yet the older boys in the

study anticipated higher grades than the girls. These findings point out the differences

between teacher and student perceptions as well as a difference in expectations between

boys and girls. Males and females have opposing viewpoints of their self-esteem and

self-concept. Males tend to over exaggerate their abilities, while females tend to

underestimate their academic skills, which can influence achievement and test scores

(Slavin, 2006). Differences in student perceptions of teaching are not limited to gender

differences. Students from varied ethnic backgrounds and economic status have diverse

beliefs and expectations about learning and engagement in the classroom.

A 2006 article by Garcia, Agbemakplido, Abdella, Lopez, and Registe recorded the

personal stories of high school students enrolled in a social justice course. The students

were asked to analyze their high school experiences with teachers and describe what they

believed to be the critical qualities of teachers. The framework for the assignment was

based on the purpose of education with respect to history, social justice, research, and

community organization. Requirements of the project included research into NCLB, a

review of education literature, an analysis of the students’ own learning experiences, and

gaining an understanding of their school district’s criteria and expectations for teachers to

know and exhibit within the scope of their teaching positions. Student responses

indicated that being a highly qualified teacher did not mean that teachers taught in a

highly qualified manner. This long-term classroom exercise revealed the nature of

student thinking, especially for students from a variety of backgrounds and cultures.

Additional support for understanding cultural differences can be found in the study by

Noguera (2007). This study described the results of a project called Pathways to Student

Success conducted in ten Boston high schools. Students presented their ideas on how to

improve teaching in their schools by offering suggestions about effective teacher

practices: Teachers should be organized, patient, have a strong understanding of their

content and be passionate about their subject matter; teachers should be firm but still

show respect to their students. Another study supported these practices in an examination

of African American students’ perceptions of their learning environments. Howard

(2002) examined the findings from a study of African American students in urban

schools seeking their interpretations of effective teaching. According to Howard, African

American students indicated that teachers did not care about their academic success and

demonstrated apathy towards these students in the classroom. Furthermore, he suggested

that the attitude of the teacher affects the way students’ perceive their learning

experiences. The study focused on five urban schools with a sample of 30 middle and

secondary students. Although the sample size was small, the interviews with students

shed light on how African American students define effective teaching. One such

outcome was the phrase “culturally connected caring”, where a student feels cared for in

such a way that they do not have to abandon their ethnic integrity. Another outcome of

student responses was the need for students to have personal connections with their

teachers and evidence of caring outside of the classroom. Students revealed that they

were more motivated to learn when their teachers used familiar patterns of interactions

with students, similar to the types of interactions that were used at home.

Worrell and Kuterbach (2001) noted that another group of students has been ignored

with respect to teacher effectiveness: gifted students in university-based summer

programs. The researchers suggested that low-inference teacher behaviors can be used to

conduct teacher evaluations in high school population groups. Low inference behaviors

refer to specific classroom behaviors easily identified as opposed to general or vague

accounts. In the Worrell and Kuterbach study, two groups of academically talented high

school students were asked to rate their six-week summer program with respect to

instructor attributes and course and program quality. Findings indicated that students

provided valid ratings of teaching and that the use of student ratings could be used as a

tool to provide formative feedback to teachers in a limited capacity. Additional support

for student ratings can be found in the Glover and Law study (2004). They analyzed

student ratings to determine the link between learning experience and school culture. An

investigation was conducted to collect data on student perceptions of teaching and

learning policies, to gather results based on gender, age, and subject for reflection, and to

determine if relationships existed between the students’ learning experiences and school

successes based on national measures. Statements about the learning experience were

grouped into five categories: physical environment of the school, challenge of teacher

expectations, learning experience and teaching styles, nature of relationships between

teachers and students, and student understanding of school curriculum. The findings

from this study indicated that schools deemed to be successful are those whose leadership

strategies and leader roles are clear, their staff members participate in shared-decision

making processes, the schools have a vision with policies in place for improvement, and

the atmosphere promotes a meaningful understanding of teaching and learning practices.

Hubbard (2001) criticized current research for a lack of focus on student perceptions

of teacher practices and behaviors, noting that educators and researchers were “reluctant

to ask students what they think.” Good and Weinstein (1986) paved the way for student

contributions regarding classroom practice, suggesting that more notice be paid to the

ideas and interests of students. Good (1981) stated that high school students are unaware

of their ability to affect change in the classroom, yet students in classrooms today may

not be willing to provide their input, especially if the classroom environment is not

conducive to discussing options for improvement. Findings from the Walker and Greene

(2009) study suggest that “high school students who report a sense of belonging are more

likely to focus on the development of understanding and then use cognitive effort to make

that understanding possible (p.470).” Teachers are in a position to foster this sense of

belonging in the classroom, which equates to more positive learning outcomes for their

students. Students show increased efforts to regulate their learning and seek help

willingly when needed. An important outcome of these positive changes in student

behaviors is the students’ ability to understand how learning is relevant to their future.

Relevance of course content is directly related to students’ motivation to learn new

material. As noted by Hubbard (2001), students are most affected by teacher practices in

the classroom, yet few studies target the perceptions of students in their learning

environments.

The statement by Gloria Ladson-Billings, in the interview with Au (2005), reinforced

the importance of student participation in school improvement: “Part of being highly

qualified as a teacher is that you actually understand kids, you understand community,

you understand context — so that you go into a setting and you're able to understand

enough about the setting, enough about yourself, to be able to be effective.”

Educational reform has been addressed at federal, state and school district levels for

decades. At the district level, school leaders work with their leadership teams,

departments, special education staff, and support staff to monitor student progress and

adjust curriculum, scheduling, and testing as issues arise. Unfortunately, reform efforts

have failed to recognize the value of the most important stakeholder in education – the

student. This study will examine student perceptions of effective teachers in the

secondary classroom to identify the behaviors, methods, and qualities of teaching that

promote student learning and engagement.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

An important predictor of student achievement is engagement in learning activities

within the school environment (Finn & Rock, 1997). There is an inclination to drift away

from classroom engagement as students move from elementary to high school (Lumsden,

1994).

Newmann (1992) identified three critical factors that may increase student

achievement: (1) students’ perceptions of fairness and justice in the classroom, (2)

relationships between teachers and students, and (3) effective use of instructional

strategies. Schools with diverse student populations and low socio-economic status must

find ways to increase student achievement by examining the issues that affect the student.

Although research has been conducted to determine secondary students’ perceptions of

teacher quality, very little is known about the perceptions of teacher quality based on

gender or race. Students from diverse populations may have different ideas and beliefs of

what constitutes teacher quality in spite of being assigned to classrooms taught by highly

qualified teachers. In order to discover new insights about student engagement in the

secondary classroom, it is important to examine high school students’ perceptions of

teacher quality to better inform school leaders as they seek teachers who are highly

qualified in their subject areas and exhibit the traits deemed important by students.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Ash and Persall (1999) stated that student learning had to be the central goal in

educating students, and that school leaders are the key in bringing about universal change

to increase student achievement. In order to discover new ways of reaching students, it

makes sense to ask those most affected by teachers, the students, to weigh in with their

perceptions of teacher quality. The researcher will consider the following overarching

question in this study: With respect to student and teacher relationships, instructional

strategies, and justice and fairness, what do secondary students perceive about teacher

quality? The following sub-questions will be used to answer the overarching question:

What are perceptions of secondary students’ by race and gender about their

teachers with respect to student and teacher relationships?

What are perceptions of secondary students’ by race and gender about their

teachers with respect to instructional strategies?

What are perceptions of secondary students’ by race and gender about their

teachers with respect to justice and fairness?

METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions of effective teachers in

the secondary classroom to determine the behaviors, teaching methods, and qualities of

teaching that promote student learning and engagement. A quantitative approach was

utilized to study high school students’ responses through surveys identifying student

responses.

A purposive sample of Georgia public high schools was used to gather cluster

samples of student data from nine schools. The selected schools were chosen based on

school superintendents who gave permission for their high schools to participate. After

securing permission from the superintendents, the respective high school principals were

contacted to introduce the researcher and elements of the study.

PARTICIPANTS

The participants in this study were high school seniors attending public high schools

in the state of Georgia. The sample was selected by utilizing a purposive sample from all

Georgia public high schools reported in the Georgia Report Card for the 2009-2010

school year. In each school selected for this study, two classes of seniors were asked to

participate in the survey. From each selected high school, student participants were

selected using cluster sampling of all senior classes at the high schools selected. The

targeted population group was high school seniors taking all of their classes on campus in

their high schools. The total number of schools selected was nine public high schools.

Within each school a minimum of two senior classes were cluster sampled for

participation in the study. Assuming a minimum class size of twenty students, the

targeted sample for the study was 360 high school seniors.

INSTRUMENTATION

A survey instrument was distributed to all participants. The instrument, Student

Perceptions of Teacher Quality was adapted from a survey conducted by Semmel (2007).

Semmel sought to measure lack of engagement in high school classrooms through an

examination of four teacher-influenced variables: students’ sense of justice in the

classroom, appropriate use of power in the classroom, teacher-student relationships, and

the use of effective instructional strategies. Furthermore, he sought to ascertain the

degree to which these factors were associated with self-reported levels of student

engagement with respect to student ethnicity, socio-economic status, and self-efficacy.

Three of these constructs, Student-Teacher Relationships, Instructional Strategies, and

Justice and Fairness, form the theoretical foundation for the survey document used in this

study.

DATA COLLECTION

The researcher made contact with all superintendents to secure permission for their

schools to participate; permission was obtained from the administrators of each high

school two months prior to data collection. Copies of the Institutional Review Board

approval and an abstract of the study were made available to all participating schools and

their review personnel upon request. Students participating in the quantitative portion of

the study were given informed consent letters to be signed by parents and/or guardians.

The informed consent letters were sent home with students one month prior to student

participation in the survey.

Surveys were mailed or hand-delivered based on the geographic location of

participating schools. Surveys were given to randomly selected homeroom or first period

classes of high school seniors who voluntarily participated. Surveys were collected and

placed in a mailing envelope with prepaid postage, pre-addressed to the researcher, and

mailed with out-going school mail or hand-delivered to the researcher by a designated

representative from the participating schools. The survey consisted of questions that

measured students’ perceptions of the teacher-student relationships, teachers’

instructional strategies, fairness towards all students, and teacher traits that promote

student engagement in the classroom. The students were to apply their survey questions

to teachers they deemed to have been effective teachers from all four years of high

school, not necessarily one teacher’s classroom that they were currently taking while

completing the survey.

DATA ANALYSIS

The data collected from the surveys was entered into a spreadsheet and exported into

SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Each question was labeled as variable

1, 2, 3, etc. Descriptive statistics were tabulated for each of the variables observed by the

survey instrument by gender and race. One-way Analysis of Variance was used to

identify differences among the race and gender of the students in the survey and

independent t-tests were used to analyze differences among for each dimension: student-

teacher relationships, instructional strategies, and justice and fairness.

DELIMITATIONS

The study concentrated on eighteen public high schools in Georgia. Participants

included high school seniors who attended nine of the eighteen public high schools in

selected school districts within the First District RESA. High schools were selected by a

purposive sample from the schools in this region based on permission by their

superintendents to participate in the study. Students from the participating high schools

were selected from two classes per schools participating in the study. Since only nine

schools with a minimum of 360 students were selected for the study, the findings may not

be generalizable to other students in the state or nation.

SUMMARY

Teacher quality is an important part of a student’s success in school. Research shows

that teacher quality has the largest effect on student achievement and determines the

success of a student in subsequent years of schooling. In order to add to the current

knowledge of hiring quality teachers, principals must understand what students perceive

to be quality instruction in the classroom and consider students’ perceptions of excellent

teaching and the ability of teachers to engage learners in the content. An analysis of data

collected from high school seniors will help school leaders identify the characteristics of

quality teachers that encourage students to be active participants in the classroom, which

may lead to greater numbers of high school graduates. By studying the responses based

on gender and ethnicity, new information regarding what works among diverse student

population groups may help principals make better choices as they hire new teachers.

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Given the nature of high-stakes accountability in the United States, school districts

and state boards of education are focused on the practices that directly influence student

learning. Methods of evaluation are changing from the historical practice of

administrative observation of teacher tasks, knowledge, and ability to teacher practices

that produce observable and measureable student academic achievement. A historical

review of literature provides a multitude of data that supports a common belief: teacher

effectiveness is the greatest determinant of student achievement (Darling-Hammond,

2000; Goldhaber & Brewer, 2001; Hanusek, Kain, & Rivkin 1998). “Even if teachers

were randomly distributed among schools and all of the between school variation in

achievement were to result from other school inputs, differences in teacher quality would

swamp all other school inputs (Hanusek, Kain & Rivkin, 1998, pp. 30-31).

Teacher Effectiveness